• a leaf rests in Quantico Creek

    Prince William Forest

    Park Virginia

  • Firewood

    Outside firewood is prohibited in Prince William Forest Park, unless it is certified USDA 'bug free' firewood. Any dead and downed wood can be collected in the park for in-park use. Help us protect the forest from invasive species!

  • Oak Ridge Campground B and C Loops Full 5/26

    The B and C Loops of Oak Ridge Campground are full for Saturday night, May 26th. A loop is a first come, first served loop of the campground so you can arrive early to get a site. Call the visitor center from 9 to 5 for a current A Loop site count.

  • Sold Out of the Military Pass

    We have sold out of our cache of the new InterAgency Military Pass. We have ordered 500 more and will post here and on our facebook/twitter pages when our shipment arrives.

  • Warm Wet Spring = More Ticks

    Please check yourself and your pets for ticks continually during and after your visit. Ticks are less prevelent if you stay on trail or in mowed areas. Wearing light colored clothing helps you spot them before the attach.

  • Warm Wet Spring = More Ticks

    Please check yourself and your pets for ticks continually during and after your visit. Ticks are less prevelent if you stay on trail or in mowed areas. Wearing light colored clothing helps you spot them before the attach.

Crossing Trail

The Crossing Trailhead

National Park Service

The Crossing Trail

The Crossing Trail (0.5 miles; 0.8 km)

The Crossing Trail is a short, easy hike that starts near Telegraph Pavilion and loops back to the road near the trailhead. Follow the green blazes to remain on the Crossing Trail or connect to the Birch Bluff Trail by following the red blazes.

 
Telegraph Road

National Park Service

Old Telegraph Road

At 0.3 miles along the trail, you will come across a portion of the abandoned Telegraph Road. This road was used by General George Washington and the comte de Rochambeau to travel from Rhode Island to Yorktown, VA during the Revolutionary War. In later years, it served as the main north and south thoroughfare for area travelers. This road witnessed the changing of modes of transportation over the centuries - from horseback to stagecoach. Route 1, and later Interstate 95, now take its place.
 
Informational Sign

National Park Service

Informational Sign

An informational sign can be found where Telegraph Road intersects the Crossing Trail, providing more information on the history of the old road. Efforts are currently underway in the National Park Service to create a Washington-Rochambeau National Historic Trail that would highlight this important route.
 
Green Blaze of the Crossing Trail

National Park Service

Green blaze of the Crossing Trail

Traveling along this path, you occasionally walk on sediments deposited by ancient seas. Today these deposits form the soils of the Coastal Plain. Along with the terrain, the climate and forest have also changed over the ages. Today's woodland scene of oaks, hickories, and tulip trees was once the setting of swamps, marshes, and cypress trees.
 

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Did You Know?

Did You Know?

Prince William Forest Park preserves the largest inventory of Civilian Conservation Corps structures (153) in the National Park System. Four of the five cabin camps are listed on the National Register of Historic Places as historic districts.